Detroit Tigers' Bryan Holaday calls his shot before hitting 1st career home run

Bryan Holaday pulls a Babe Ruth on Thursday, predicts first career home run before taking batter's box. AP Photo

DETROIT – Called it.

In the bottom of the third inning, just as Detroit Tigers catcher Bryan Holaday headed to the batter's box, he turned to Torii Hunter with a gut feeling.

"Call the bullpen," Holaday said. "Tell them to get ready for the ball."

Holaday watched Andrew Albers' first pitch zip by -- an 83 mile-per-hour sinker. Strike one. Then, on the second pitch, just as he had predicted, he hit his first major league career home run. And it landed just a few rows behind the bullpen.

"You know what's tripped out?," Torii Hunter said following the Tigers' 7-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. "He said, before he went up there, he told me, 'Tell the bullpen to wake up, because something's coming out there.'

"I swear to you. I swear it. He did. And then he hit it and I was like, 'Whoa.'"

What Holaday didn't expect was what happened upon returning to the dugout. At first, no one - not manager Jim Leyland or his teammates - said a word or shook his hand. It may be cold, but it's tradition.

"All the guys were tickled for him. Gave him a little bit of the silent treatment when he came in the dugout. That's kind of a ritual," Leyland said. "He's done well. He's hit some balls pretty good. He's accounted for himself very well since he's been up here. We were thrilled for him, he's such a good kid. To get his first one, he really had a big smile.

"There's not enough money to pay for that smile he had on his face when he came in the dugout; I can tell you that."

Holaday finished 2-2 in the game with a home run, a single, two runs scored and two RBI. As for his Babe Ruth-like shot calling ability, well, he's as surprised as anyone.

"It's kind of funny that it worked out," Holaday said. "It was a great experience that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."